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Nick Saban comments on Landon Collins sliding out of 1st round
By Kevin Duffey
Published:
Perhaps the biggest surprise in Thursday night’s first round was the fact that Alabama safety Landon Collins wasn’t picked.
The former five-star entered the draft as one of the best tackling defensive backs, but he’ll have to wait until the second round to hear his named called.
I’m sure Collins is wondering why he wasn’t picked, and count Nick Saban as one who can’t figure out why Collins slid out of the first round either. Saban appeared on Sirius XM to discuss the topic.
“I can’t for the life of me think why he would slide in the draft,” Saban told Sirius XM. “He’s a fine person. He has no character issues. He’s played on some really good defensive teams and has been a great leader; so, I don’t get it but I don’t know all that goes on there. Sometimes when you get all the information and it is what it is and people ought to go with that rather than trying to read something into something that really isn’t there.”
Throughout the draft process, teams had concerns with Collins’ cover skills. Green Bay, who picked Ha Ha Clinton-Dix last year in the first round, had the opportunity at No. 30, but instead, the Packers chose Arizona State defensive back Damarious Randall. Reports indicate the Packers like Randall as a cornerback.
However, Saban knows that whichever team decides to draft Collins in Friday night’s second round is getting a very good football player.
“I see this happen just about every year in the draft where there’s something that gets put out there about somebody, and it spreads like wild fire through every team as if they know something that we don’t know,” Saban said.
“The bottom line is that’s why guys get drafted high and they’re not very good and other guys that are really, really good like Landon Collins — who has been very productive, has great speed, great size, very physical player, has very good ball skills — can play in the really deep part of the field. For a safety, he’s a good man-to-man player, and he can match up on some people because of his size and speed.”
Collins sent out a tweet about being left out of the first round, stating he’s disappointed but he’ll use it as motivation:
Definitely disappointed I didn't hear my name called last night but just means I have to get back in the lab & continue to master my craft.
— LANDON COLLINS (@ALLAMERICAN_2) May 1, 2015
A graduate of the University of Florida and founder of Saturday Down South, Kevin is a college football enthusiast.
